


unsettled stillness of the night

by lynne_monstr



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Exhaustion, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Episode: s02e12 You Are Not Your Own, alec looking out for magnus when he won't do it himself, particularly the detail of Clary breaking down Magnus' wards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 19:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynne_monstr/pseuds/lynne_monstr
Summary: Magnus hasn't forgotten how his wards—the magic that defends and protects him—were so easily compromised by Shadowhunter strength. He has his body back but he's lost the security of his home.  Alec helps him get it back, if only for a night.





	unsettled stillness of the night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Writer's Months Day 2. Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

Alec stumbled in the dark, cursing under his breath as his toe his caught the edge of a side table that hadn’t been there an hour ago. Things must be worse than he thought if Magnus had redecorated yet again.

Carefully, he eased around the corner into the living room where Magnus kept his apothecary. Sure enough, the far corner was lit in a pool of yellow light, a smear of color in an otherwise dark space.

Magnus was hunched over several cauldrons, hands dancing as he measured and mixed ingredients without pause. The low melody of his voice filled the air as he talked himself through whatever bit of magic he was working on. Behind him was another new addition to the loft’s decor, a whiteboard with scribbles that were more letters than numbers. Perhaps some obscure demonic language, but not one that Alec had ever studied.

Alec cleared his throat, heart breaking as even that small noise caused Magnus to startle.

“Alexander!” Magnus’ elbow nearly knocked over the cauldron at the very edge of the table but his quick reflexes caught it before its contents could escape. “You should be in bed.”

Magnus never used to startle, but ever since getting his body back from Valentine, he’d been on edge, even here in his home. Alec hated it.

“So should you.” He ached to take Magnus into his arms and kiss away the deep line of tension between his brows but he’d learned the hard way that crowding Magnus only agitated him more. “The bed’s too big without you.”

“I can fix that,” Magnus waved his fingers.

“Or you can come to bed.” Alec swallowed the lump in his throat. “Please come to bed.”

Magnus stilled, and the lack of movement made him seem much smaller. “I can’t,” he whispered. “Not yet.”

Alec didn’t need to guess what research had captivated Magnus enough to keep him from sleep for so many nights on end. It was the same thing he’d been working on constantly since the day he’d regained his body. “The wards won’t be finished tonight,” Alec said, too tired to skirt around the issue the way he'd done last night. And the night before. And before and before. “We both know they won’t be finished tomorrow or the day after that. You need rest.”

The agitation was back, firming Magnus’ strong shoulders and bringing the fire back into his eyes. “You saw the rune Clary made. And while I’m grateful to Biscuit for bursting in and sending Valentine back to that _cell_—” Magnus’ whole body seemed to shudder at the word, as if a part of him was still reliving every moment of his capture—"she exposed an unacceptable breach in my own protections. What use are my wards if they can be brought down with nothing but a stele?”

It was a familiar argument, and so was Alec’s rebuttal. “All the magic in the world won’t matter if you drop from exhaustion.”

Magnus’ eyes flickered to the whiteboard. “I’m so close, Alexander, Just a little more work and this place will be absolutely impenetrable. I can even put the new wards up in the Institute if—”

The ache in Alec’s chest grew so large it drowned out the words. His world narrowed to the dark bags under Magnus’ eyes, the telltale chips in his nail polish, the way he swayed on his feet even as he spoke.

This couldn’t go on.

He put both hands on Magnus’ shoulders, moving slow enough that Magnus could retreat if he wished. He didn’t, and some of the tension in Alec’s chest eased at that. With the same care, he ran a hand up Magnus’ neck, cradling the base of his skull. Magnus leaned ever so slightly into the touch, betraying how exhausted he truly was.

“Okay,” Alec said, reaching with his other hand for the stele he’d tucked into his sweatpants when he’d first woken up alone and worried. Why he hadn't yet thought of this particular solution, he didn’t know, but the answer suddenly seemed crystal clear. If Magnus didn’t feel safe behind his wards anymore, Alec would give him the next best thing.

Before he could change his mind, he ran his stele across his stamina rune and felt the familiar energy sweeping through him, lighting up his senses and setting his nerves on edge. He felt refreshed, as if roused from a full night’s sleep and a cup of coffee.

Magnus blinked several times. “Alec, what are you doing?”

Instead of answering, Alec put away the stele and tugged at Magnus’ hand. “You can work on the wards tomorrow. I’ll keep watch until then.”

Magnus dug in his heels but made no effort to break Alec’s grip on his hand. “That’s kind but unnecessary. I can look out for myself.”

“I know. But even High Warlocks need sleep.” Alec took a step closer, recognizing victory when Magnus didn’t retreat. “I already activated the rune, so I’ll be up all night anyway.” He brought their joined hands to his lips, not bothering to hide the pleading in his eyes when he said, “Let me do this for you.”

Magnus’ eyes went wide and this time he didn’t protest when Alec led him towards the bedroom.

The door swung shut behind them, closing them off in the place that was fast becoming a sanctuary in Alec’s mind. Here, away from the street noise of the balcony, the silence seemed unbreakable, a blanket spread over the two of them that separated them from the outside world.

It was an illusion neither of them moved to break as Alec unbuttoned Magnus’ shirt and helped him out of his pants. His fingers skimmed along each inch of newly bared skin, a comfort rather than any intent towards more strenuous activities. Gently, he took off each of Magnus’ rings from unresisting fingers and lifted the layers of necklaces over his head. Magnus didn’t say a word as Alec tilted his head so that he could disentangle the earcuff from its usual place, though the peaceful smile on his face gave Alec hope that he was going about this the right way.

Once the last piece of jewelry was removed, Alec deposited the whole handful of heavy silver adornments onto the bedside table. He didn’t think Magnus would stay awake long enough to get his makeup off and so, clad in nothing but his boxer briefs and his eyeliner, Alec bundled him under the covers.

Magnus must have thought the same, because he let Alec take him to bed without a word of complaint. In almost no time at all, his breathing slowed and evened out, his body going limp and vulnerable in sleep. Alec wasn’t naïve enough to think that one night of rest would solve all their problems, but it was a good first step. One they were taking together. It was enough to give him hope.

Deep in sleep, Magnus shifted on the bed so that he was sprawled on his stomach, one arm tucked under the pillow and the other slung across Alec’s waist where he sat propped up against the headboard between Magnus and the door.

Alec kept watch over him all night.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come chat at me!. I'm on [tumblr](https://lynne-monstr.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/LynneMonstr)


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